Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Varkaus

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,278 a month against $1,899 in Varkaus, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Varkaus
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Varkaus Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Varkaus

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,899

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Varkaus

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tbilisi and in Varkaus actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,899 in Varkaus, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,278
Varkaus $1,899

A couple spends around $2,017 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,014 in Varkaus, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,017
Varkaus $3,014

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Tbilisi vs $4,128 in Varkaus, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,755
Varkaus $4,128

Tbilisi is about 33% cheaper than Varkaus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tbilisi sits 5% below the global median, while Varkaus is 40% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 ₾30.07

$15.36 €13.74

-24.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 ₾99.4

$102 €90.9

-62.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.20

$12.24 €10.95

-20.42%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₾9.21

$5.33 €4.77

-33.21%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 ₾2.80

$3.57 €3.19

-69.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.46

$2.85 €2.55

-80.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ₾7.05

$8.69 €7.77

-68.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₾8.09

$8.31 €7.43

-62.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₾5.55

$1.40 €1.25

52.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$3.09 €2.77

-75.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$3.64 €3.26

-50.55%

Eggs

$2.80 ₾7.25

$4.00 €3.57

-30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ₾24.41

$10.68 €9.55

-11.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ₾18.10

$16.59 €14.84

-57.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ₾32.84

$20.92 €18.71

-39.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₾4.22

$2.66 €2.37

-38.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.77

$2.09 €1.86

-11.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.09

$3.55 €3.18

-44.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₾6.39

$4.84 €4.32

-48.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$1.24 €1.11

-39.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.74

$1.88 €1.68

-64.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₾3.66

$2.39 €2.14

-41.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.86

$1.88 €1.68

-61.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.09

$12.36 €11.05

-71.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₾20.40

$13.35 €11.94

-40.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$3.69 €3.30

-53.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₾6.12

$5.07 €4.53

-53.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾0.98

$3.41 €3.05

-88.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₾39.57

$66.1 €59.1

-76.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$9.61 €8.60

-87.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$1.76 €1.57

-57.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 ₾30.76

$51.1 €45.73

-76.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₾3.77

$2.33 €2.08

-37.34%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$25.0K ₾64.6K

$36.9K €33.0K

-32.33%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$22.8K ₾59.1K

$37.4K €33.4K

-38.97%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$88.1 ₾228

$107 €96.0

-17.90%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$12.71 ₾32.87

$26.91 €24.07

-52.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.79 ₾51.2

$28.94 €25.88

-31.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 ₾166

$43.40 €38.81

48.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.60

$22.35 €19.98

-14.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₾17.20

$17.79 €15.91

-62.62%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$371 ₾961

$725 €648

-48.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,163 ₾23.7K

$12.4K €11.1K

-26.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾264

$121 €108

-15.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 ₾103

$56.5 €50.5

-29.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾306

$88.9 €79.5

32.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾310

$176 €157

-32.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₾1,785

$787 €704

-12.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₾1,193

$638 €571

-27.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₾3,524

$1,248 €1,116

9.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ₾2,321

$1,055 €944

-15.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,892

$4,070 €3,639

-44.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,565

$2,174 €1,944

-36.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 ₾1,837

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

3.59

249.03%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Varkaus: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$461 36.1%

Varkaus

$638 33.6% 38.4% $177

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$235 18.4%

Varkaus

$412 21.7% 75.4% $177

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Varkaus

$309 16.3% 61.6% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.4%

Varkaus

$199 10.5% 16.5% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.4%

Varkaus

$163 8.6% 35.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.1%

Varkaus

$79 4.2% 1.8% $1.4

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Varkaus

$98 5.2% 352% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $690 in Tbilisi versus $787 in Varkaus. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $102 in Varkaus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $412 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇫🇮 Varkaus

🕒 Local time

05:48 5:48 AM

03:48 3:48 AM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

20,257

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Varkaus 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Varkaus

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tbilisi vs Varkaus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Tbilisi, $1,899 in Varkaus – Tbilisi comes out roughly 33% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,918 per month in Tbilisi and $2,849 in Varkaus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $690 there versus $787 in Varkaus.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi and $102 in Varkaus. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Tbilisi and $1,899 in Varkaus. That makes Tbilisi about 33% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Tbilisi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Tbilisi is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 33% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.